T-Mobile is a mobile telephone provider, owned by Deutsche Telekom (the T stands for Telekom ). It operates several GSM networks in Europe and the United States. T-Mobile also has financial stakes in mobile operators in Central and Eastern Europe. Globally, T-Mobile has some 150 million subscribers , making it the world's seventh largest mobile phone service provider by subscribers and the third largest multinational after the United Kingdom's Vodafone and Spain's Telefónica.
Based in Germany, T-Mobile is present in ten other European countries, Austria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Hungary, Macedonia, Montenegro, the Netherlands, Poland, Slovakia, and the United Kingdom, as well as in the United States. T-Mobile is also currently in contract with Apple as service providers for Apple iPhones.
In late 2005, Deutsche Telekom attempted to acquire rival mobile network operator O2, but was beaten out by Spain's Telefónica.
In March 2008, the company announced they planned to acquire Siemens Wireless Modules (now known as Cinterion Wireless Modules) as part of the JOMA consortium. The Siemens Wireless Modules spin off to Cinterion Wireless Modules was concluded on May 1, 2008.
History
In Germany, its home market, T-Mobile is the largest mobile phone operator with almost 36 million subscribers (As of January 2008), closely followed by its primary rival, Vodafone. The highly profitable GSM network in Germany is scheduled to be supplemented and ultimately replaced by UMTS, for which T-Mobile spent EUR 8.2 billion in August 2000 to acquire one of the six licenses for Germany.
On July 1, 1989, West Germany's state-owned postal monopoly, Deutsche Bundespost (DBP) was reorganized, with telecommunications consolidated in a new Deutsche Bundespost Telekom unit; this was renamed Deutsche Telekom in 1995, and began to be privatized in 1996.
The analog first-generation C-Netz ("C Network", marketed as C-Tel ) was Germany's first true mobile phone network (the A and B networks, also owned by the post office, had been previous radiotelephone systems), and was introduced in 1985. Following German reunification in 1990, it was extended to the former East Germany.
On July 1, 1992, the Deutsche Bundespost Telekom began to operate Germany's first GSM network, along with the C-Netz, as its DeTeMobil subsidiary. The GSM 900 MHz frequency band was referred to as the "D-Netz", and Telekom named its service D1 ; the private consortium awarded the second license (formerly Mannesmann, now Vodafone) chose the equally imaginative name D2 . In 1996, as Deutsche Telekom began to brand its subsidiaries with the T- prefix, the network was renamed T-D1 and DeTeMobil became T-Mobil ; the C-Netz, in the process of being wound down, was not rebranded, and was shut down in 2000. In 2002, as Deutsche Telekom consolidated its international operations, it anglicized the T-Mobil name as T-Mobile , although sometimes also using the name T-D1 within Germany. It is still common for Germans to refer to T-Mobile and Vodafone as D1 and D2 .
D1 introduced short message service (SMS) services in 1994 and began a prepaid service, Xtra , in 1997.
The T-Mobile ring tone was composed by Lance Massey.
Global operations
Austria
Until 2000 T-Mobile was a shareholder of the former max.mobil. network. In April 2001 it acquired 100 percent and subsequently introduced the T-Mobile brand in Austria by rebranding max.mobil. in April 2002 as T-Mobile Austria.
In 2005 it acquired former competitor tele.ring from Western Wireless International . It is now used as a discount brand.
Croatia
T-Mobile entered the Croatian market in October 1999 when Deutsche Telekom (DT) initially acquired a 35 percent interest in Hrvatski telekom, including its cell phone service provider Cronet . Two years later, DT signed an agreement with the Croatian government to acquire the additional 16 percent needed for a majority holding. In January 2003, Hrvatski Telekom assembled all of its mobile activities under a single brand HTmobile . Finally, in October 2004, HTmobile became T-Mobile Hrvatska , or T-Mobile Croatia , thus joining the global T-Mobile family also by name.
Czech Republic
T-Mobile was previously known as Paegas in the Czech Republic.
T-Mobile Czech Republic a.s. has been operating in the Czech market since 1996. As of 30 May 2008, 5.273 million customers were using T-Mobile services.
T-Mobile Czech Republic a.s. operates a public mobile communications network on the GSM standard in the 900 and 1800 MHz bands and is also authorized to operate a UMTS network. T-Mobile was the first operator in the Czech Republic to launch this third-generation technology on 19 October 2005 under the name Internet 4G .
Hungary
In May 2004, the same day as Hungary joined the European Union, the former company, named Westel (which was owned entirely by the former Matáv) changed its name, and the entire marketing. Westel was the most popular cellphone network in Hungary at the time. The company was called T-Mobile Hungary , but after some financial decisions, as with the other T- companies, it formed to Magyar Telekom Nyrt. Mobil Szolgáltatások Üzletág (Hungarian Telekom, Mobile Services Business Unit), but they still say T-Mobile . T-Mobile also provides high-speed services, like EDGE, 3G, and HSDPA in the major cities of Hungary.
Macedonia
Main article: T-Mobile MacedoniaIn Macedonia, T-Mobile was previously known as Mobimak . The company has been operating in the Macedonian market since 1996. On 7 September 2006, Mobimak accepted the international T-Mobile branding. By June 2007, T-Mobile reached 1 million subscribers, out of which 85% were active and using their services. T-Mobile MK covers 98.5% of the population. It has a GSM 900 license, offers GPRS, MMS and mobile internet services using T-Mobile HotSpots and has implemented the EDGE fast mobile internet specification. T-Mobile Macedonia applied for a UMTS license on 1 August 2007. The current codes are 070/071/072.
Montenegro
T-Mobile brand entered the Montenegrin market in 2006 through the acquisition of MoNet GSM mobile provider. T-Mobile Montenegro ( T-Mobile Crna Gora ) is fully owned by T-Crnogorski Telekom, which is itself owned by Magyar Telekom, a subsidiary of Deutsche Telekom. Although the acquisition by Magyar Telekom was done in 2005, it was not until September 26, 2006 that the MoNet GSM operator was re-branded as T-Mobile Montenegro.
MoNet GSM launched on 1 July 2000, as part of Telecom Montenegro. It became an independent incorporated limited liability company a month later, on August 1, 2000. The company currently holds around 34 percent of the Montenegrin market and uses GSM 900, GPRS, and EDGE technologies. Since June 21, 2007 3G/UMTS services have been available in larger cities as well as on the coast.
Netherlands
T-mobile entered the Dutch market by the acquisition of Ben on September 20, 2002. T-Mobile Netherlands, a wholly-owned subsidiary of T-Mobile International, acquired Orange Netherlands from France Télécom for EUR 1.33 billion. This makes it the second largest mobile telephone operator in the country behind KPN.
Poland
T-Mobile owns 93% of Era, which serves over 13 million customers, and owns licenses for GSM 900, 1800, and UMTS, including wireless Internet access through HSDPA technology based on Blueconnect.
Slovakia
T-Mobile entered the Slovak market in May 2005, when it acquired EuroTel Bratislava, and renamed it T-Mobile Slovensko .
The company has the same GSM coverage as Orange Slovensko in Slovakia. A third provider, Telefónica O2 Slovakia, obtained license in October 2006 and launched commercial service in February 2007,. T-Mobile launched the country's first 3G network in January 2006 in the centre of the capital city, Bratislava.
United Kingdom
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